Do you think physicians have it made? When you get sick and need a doctor in the middle of the night, do you take for granted that doctors will always be available to care for you? Most people are aware that there is a health care crisis in America, however few have examined the crisis from a physician’s point of view. There has been a huge dropout of physicians in private practice, many seeking alternative careers due to rising job dissatisfaction. In this book, I hope to enlighten readers about the physician’s life, and how the current medical climate has affected everything we do, every decision we make and our career satisfaction. The deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship has gotten worse and worse, fraught with mistrust from both ends of the stethoscope. If we are to turn the current situation around, we must understand the issues. My purpose in writing this book is to inform and educate people about the life
of a doctor, the rigorous training involved, the daily routine of medical practice and the difficulties of reconciling the business of medicine with our ultimate goal of healing. My emphasis is on how the health care and malpractice crises affect physicians, and on how the doctor-patient relationship has suffered. Initial responses of physicians are reported to the passage of the new health care plan. While there is promise of improving access to health care for patients, the burdens placed on physicians and their attitudes toward this legislation needs to be expressed. We need to understand the issues from the physicians’ perspective, from the other end of the stethoscope. Suggestions for solutions to the continuing problems facing doctors in this country are presented. My mission is to convey the importance for all people to pay attention to the medical profession, to understand their physicians’ struggles and rewards, and to assist in salvaging the relationship that is suffering between doctor and patient. I hope this book helps to promote better communication and transparency in the medical field. My advice to those of you considering a career in medicine or surgery; Go into it with open eyes and open hearts. For the rest of you, humanity, please remember that physicians too are only human.